pre·cious (prĕsh'əs)
adj.

1. Of high cost or worth; valuable.
2. Highly esteemed; cherished.
3. Dear; beloved.
4. Affectedly dainty or overrefined: precious mannerisms.
5. Informal. Thoroughgoing; unmitigated: a precious mess.

n.
One who is dear or beloved; a darling.

adv.
Used as an intensive: "He had precious little right to complain" (James Agee).

[Middle English, from Old French precios, from Latin pretiōsus, from pretium, price.]

preciously pre'cious·ly adv.
preciousness pre'cious·ness n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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